ÇRÉMAD BHAGAVAD GÉTÄ AS IT IS

Scientific Principles Of Self-Realization

TRANSLATIONS BY HDG A C BHAKTIVEDANTA SWAMI PRABHUPADA.
.

∅ BG 2:54 - 2:72 & 3:36 - 3:43 ∅

COMPILED BY DINA-ANUKAMPANA DAS MAY 2002, M’SIA
.

“Being purified by his intelligence and controlling the mind with determination,
giving up the objects of sense gratification, being freed from attachment and
hatred, one who lives in a secluded place, who eats little and who controls
the body and the tongue, and is always in trance and is detached, who is
without false ego, false strength, false pride, lust, anger, and who does not
accept material things, such a person is certainly elevated to the position of
self-realization.” Bhagavad Gita 18:51-53

CHAPTER 2 TEXT 54 Notes

Arjuna said: The inquiry.
What are the symptoms of one whose consciousness
is thus merged in Transcendence?
How does he speak, and what is his language?
How does he sit, and how does he walk?
2:55 The Blessed Lord said: O Pärtha, when a man Sense-desire & its source
gives up all varieties of sense desire
which arise from mental concoction,
and when his mind finds satisfaction in the self alone, The state of ‘Atma-santosh’ does exist.
then he is said to be in pure transcendental consciousness.
2:56 One who is not disturbed ot disturbed by miseries OR by happiness!
in spite of the threefold miseries,
who is not elated when there is happiness, Free from attachment, fear & anger.
and who is free from attachment, fear and anger,
is called a sage of steady mind. Steady mind.
2:57 He who is without attachment, Free from attachment, lamentation, jubilation.
who does not rejoice when he obtains good,
nor lament when he obtains evil, Fixed in perfect knowledge.
is firmly fixed in perfect knowledge.
2:58 One who is able to withdraw Like the tortoise.
his senses from sense objects,
as the tortoise draws its limbs within the shell,
is to be understood as truly situated in knowledge.
2:59 The embodied soul may be restricted The higer taste comes, THE lower taste goes.
from sense enjoyment,
though the taste for sense objects remains.
But, ceasing such engagements
by experiencing a higher taste, he is fixed in consciousness.
2:60 The senses are so strong and impetuous, DANGER! Beginners take heart – even
O Arjuna, that they forcibly carry away advanced souls have trouble – it is the
the mind even of a man of discrimination nature of the senses, so just get the higher
who is endeavoring to control them. taste.
2:61 One who restrains his senses Consciousness must be fixed upon God, who is
and fixes his consciousness upon Me, the Supreme Conscious Being.
is known as a man of steady intelligence.
2:62 While Contemplating the objects of the senses, 8 Stages of sensual entrapment
a person develops Attachment for them, C; A; L; A; . . . .
and from such attachment Lust develops,
and from lust Anger arises.
2:63 From anger, Delusion arises, . . . . D; B; I; F.
and from delusion Bewilderment of memory.
When memory is bewildered, Intelligence is lost,
and when intelligence is lost,
one Falls down again into the material pool.
2:64 One who can control his senses The secret escape route revealed!… regulated
by practicing the regulated principles of freedom freedom and the Lord’s mercy…
can obtain the complete mercy of the Lord
and thus become free from
all attachment and aversion.
2:65 For one who is so situated in the Divine consciousness, The state of joy that awaits us.
the threefold miseries of material existence exist no longer;
in such a happy state,
one's intelligence soon becomes steady.
2:66 One who is not in transcendental consciousness o self-realization –> no controlled mind & no
can have neither a controlled mind nor steady intelligence, steady intelligence –> no peace and certainly
without which there is no possibility of peace. no happiness………
And how can there be any happiness without peace?
2:67 As a boat on the water DAGER!
is swept away by a strong wind,
even one of the senses on which the mind focuses
can carry away a man's intelligence.
2:68 Therefore, O Mighty-Armed, The intelligent avoids danger.
one whose senses are restrained from their objects
is certainly of steady intelligence.
2:69 What is night for all beings Self-realization does look strange from the
is the time of awakening for the self- controlled; platform of ignorance.
and the time of awakening for all beings
is night for the introspective sage.
2:70 A person who is not disturbed {A verse worth memorizing – the specific
by the incessant flow of desires wisdom that we need for convincing and
– that enter like rivers into the ocean conquering own dear-brother-mind!}
which is ever being filled but is always still – äpüryamäëam= always filled; acala-
can alone achieve peace, pratiñöhaà= steadily situated//
and not the man who strives to satisfy such desires. samudram= the ocean; äpaù= water;
praviçanti= enter; yadvat= as// tadvat=
so; kämäù= desires; yam= unto one;
BG 2:70: ä/pü/ryamä/ëam acala - pratiñöhaà praviçanti= enter; sarve= all// saù= that
samudram ä/paù praviçanti yadvat person; çäntim= peace; äpnoti=
tadvat kä/mä/ yaà praviçanti sarve/ achieves; na= not; käma-kämé= one
sa çä/ntim ä/pno/ti na kä/ma - kä/mé/ who desires to fulfill desires.
2:71 A person who has given up Real peace is only available for the self-
all desires for sense gratification, realized.
who lives free from desires,
who has given up all sense of proprietorship
and is devoid of false ego –
he alone can attain real peace.
2:72 That is the way of the spiritual and godly life, The self-realized state is a permanent
after attaining which a man is not bewildered. attainment.
Being so situated, even at the hour of death,
one can enter into the kingdom of God.
Chapter 3 Text 36
Arjuna said: O Descendant of Våñëi, The inquiry. Sin. What force pushes us?
by what is one impelled to sinful acts,
even unwillingly, as if engaged by force?
3:37 The Blessed Lord said: It is lust only, Arjuna, The enemy identified.
which is born of contact with the material modes of passion
and later transformed into wrath,
and which is the all-devouring, sinful enemy of this world.
3:38 As fire is covered by smoke, Three varying degrees of the crisis.
as a mirror is covered by dust,
or as the embryo is covered by the womb,
similarly, the living entity is covered
by different degrees of this lust.
3:39 Thus, a man's pure consciousness Consciousness, atma, is pure, but merely
is covered by his eternal enemy in the form of lust, covered by the insatiable enemy.
which is never satisfied and which burns like fire.
3:40 The senses, the mind and the intelligence The enemy’s location pinpointed and its two
are the sitting places of this lust, effects revealed.
which veils the real knowledge of the living entity
and bewilders him.
3:41 Therefore, O Arjuna, Best of the Bhäratas, The method of slaying the enemy revealed.
in the very beginning
curb this great symbol of sin [lust]
by regulating the senses,
and slay this destroyer of knowledge and self-realization.
3:32 The working senses The pre-requisite information for locating the
are superior to dull matter; enemy’s hiding places. Scientific, introspective
mind is higher than the senses; self-analysis seriously required here – various
intelligence is still higher than the mind; levels of consciousness. Self-realization begins
and he [the soul] is even higher here – “I am OT this body; nor am I the
than the intelligence. mind, nor the intellect”.
3:43 Thus knowing oneself to be The enemy is conquered by spiritual strength
transcendental to material senses, mind and intelligence, born of following rules & regulations with
one should control the lower self by the higher self realization. (Follow Bhakti Yoga rules with
and thus - by spiritual strength – the aid of revealed spiritual wisdom – the right
conquer this insatiable enemy known as lust. psychology behind practicing these regulations
can be found in these books – OI & OD).

Spiritual Knowledge develops in the Mode of Goodness (with that comes peace & prosperity):

“From the mode of goodness,

real knowledge develops;
from the mode of passion, greed develops;
and from the mode of ignorance,
foolishness, madness and illusion develop.”
- BG 14:17
The Bhagavad Gita’s “Peace Slokas”:
Good population in human society
is the basic principle for peace,
(varna-sankara, untrained, unwanted population
is the cause of disturbance in society.)
- BG 1:40p

“The problems of material existence

– birth, old age, disease and death –
cannot be counteracted
by accumulation of wealth and economic development.
In many parts of the world there are states
which are replete with all facilities of life, which are full of wealth,
and economically developed,
yet the problems of material existence are still present.
They are seeking peace in different ways,
but they can achieve real happiness
only if they consult Krishna or the Bhagavad Gita.”
- BG 1:40p

“If I (Lord Krishna) should cease to work,

then all these worlds would be put to ruination.
I would also be the cause of creating unwanted population,
and I would thereby destroy the peace of all sentient beings.
- BG 3:24

One who is not in transcendental consciousness

can have neither a controlled mind nor steady intelligence,
without which there is no possibility of peace.
And how can there be any happiness without peace?
- BG 2:66

A person who is not disturbed

by the incessant flow of desires
– that enter like rivers into the ocean
which is ever being filled but is always still –
can alone achieve peace,
and not the man
who strives to satisfy such desires.
- BG 2:70

A person who has given up

all desires for sense gratification,
who lives free from desires,
who has given up all sense of proprietorship
and is devoid of false ego –
he alone can attain real peace.
- BG 2:71
In this world, there is nothing so sublime and pure
as transcendental knowledge.
 Such knowledge is the mature fruit of all mysticism.
And one who has achieved this
enjoys the self with himself in due course of time.
- BG 4:38

A faithful man who is absorbed in transcendental knowledge

and who subdues his senses
quickly attains the supreme spiritual peace.
- BG 4:39

The steadily devoted soul attains unadulterated peace

because he offers the result of all activities to Me;
whereas a person who is not in union with theDivine,
who is greedy for the fruits of his labor,
becomes entangled.
- BG 5:12

The sages, knowing Me as the ultimate purpose

of all sacrifices and austerities,
the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods
and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities,
attain peace from the pangs of material miseries.
- BG 5:29 (Srila Prabhupada called this verse ‘The peace forumula.’)

Thus practicing control of the body, mind and activities,

the mystic transcendentalist attains real peace
and enters the kingdom of God [or the abode of Krishna]
by cessation of material existence.
- BG 6:15

The yogi whose mind is fixed on Me

verily attains the highest happiness.
By virtue of his identity with Brahman,
he is liberated; his mind is peaceful,
his passions are quieted, and he is freed from sin.
- BG 6:27

He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace.

O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.
- BG 9:31

If you cannot take to this practice,

then engage yourself in the cultivation of knowledge.
Better than knowledge, however, is meditation,
and better than meditation is renunciation of the fruits of action,
for by such renunciation one can attain peace of mind.
- BG 12:12

O Scion of Bharata,
surrender unto Him utterly.
By His grace you will attain transcendental peace
and the supreme and eternal abode.
- BG 18:62